Goldman's Asia M&A co-head to retire -memo

One of the top mergers and acquisitions bankers at Goldman Sachs in Asia is retiring after 19 years with the firm, according to a memo obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.

Johan Leven, the co-head of mergers and acquisitions at Goldman in Asia, excluding Japan, has decided to retire from the firm in September, the memo says. Richard Campbell-Breeden will become head of the division.

Campbell-Breeden, formerly the European financial sponsor group co-head, was appointed to join Leven in the M&A co-head role.

Goldman ranked 3rd in the Thomson Reuters Asia, ex-Japan, M&A fee rankings last year, with 37 deals worth an estimated $108.3 million in fees. The firm also ranked 3rd in 2007.

Leven moved to Hong Kong in 2001 and became partner in 2004. He worked in M&A in London and Frankfurt before moving to Sydney in 1999 to be COO of investment banking for Australia/New Zealand.